Iran Executes 3 Protesters, Including Teen Wrestler

Iran has carried out its first executions tied to January's nationwide protests, and one of the dead was a teenage wrestling standout. State media said wrestler Saleh Mohammadiwas hanged Thursday along with Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi in the city of Qom after being convicted of "waging war against God" and involvement in the killing of two police officers, CBS News reports. They were also accused of carrying "operational actions" to benefit Israel and the US.

Rights groups including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights say the men were denied fair trials, forced into confessions through torture, and effectively deprived of real legal defense, calling the process akin to "extrajudicial killing." Mohammadi, who had taken part in international competitions, turned 19 last week, according to Iran Human Rights. The "waging war against God" charge is often used against dissidents in Iran, which is believed to have executed more than 2,000 people last year, the New York Times reports. Rights groups say thousands of people were killed by security forces during this year's protests.

The executions follow the hanging of Iranian-Swedish dual national Kouroush Keyvani on espionage charges a day earlier. Iran Human Rights says it is "deeply concerned" that Iran will use the conflict as cover for mass executions of protesters and other political prisoners. In January, President Trump said the US would take "very strong action" if Iran started executing protesters. "This is the Iranian terrorist regime," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said Thursday. "President Trump will never allow these murderous, evil terrorists to obtain a nuclear weapon to threaten the American people, and this horrific tragedy is a stark reminder why Operation Epic Fury is righteous, and necessary."